


cherry's touch

by wedontknowwho



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Feels, Exes, Falling In Love, M/M, Post-Break Up, Pre-Band, yangyang is mentioned once - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27527473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wedontknowwho/pseuds/wedontknowwho
Summary: hendery's eyes were always on ten and so was his heart, but he was too afraid about everything and nothingness all at once.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten & Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	cherry's touch

**Author's Note:**

> READ THIS NOTE !! 
> 
> there's implied sexual content in this fic, although it's nothing too explicit i would just want to put a warning. thank you!

Hendery’s gentle hands carried the camera and tried to take wonderful shots of the music festival. The photographer captured the beauty of the exuberant crowd as the newly formed band performed.

He then focused his camera on the vocalist of the group, he was more than surprised to the point that he almost dropped his camera because a pair of eyes that he was gloomily familiar with met his own. 

That was, no other than Chittaphon, Ten, his ex. He took the moment to memorize every little detail in him that he hadn’t seen in almost three years, he’s taking his time to adore him like he did back then. His voice was still the very best, singing a song Hendery has never heard before, but the words-- the lyrics, all sounded familiar to him. 

  
  


**_Have you got color in your cheeks?_ **

**_Do you ever get that fear that you can't shift the type_ **

**_That sticks around like summat in your teeth?_ **

**_Are there some aces up your sleeve?_ **

  
  


His mind wandered back to the time when he was still in college. 

Ten was not exactly the person you’d go to for help—if his dark attire, searing glare, piercings, and tattooed arm had not given you much ‘fuck off’ vibes then he doesn’t know what else to say to you. 

Hendery on the other hand, missed all those signs and went straight to grab his arm before he had the opportunity to get out of their classroom. “Hi, you did really good at chem earlier.” 

There was a momentary pause, as if Hendery had said something wrong. But to his relief, Ten just shrugged and thanked him. 

“Wait, Ten!” Hendery wished he knew how to stop himself from talking sometimes, but he was happy that the elder was kind enough to turn around once again and face him. 

“Hm?” Ten raised an eyebrow and sipped on his coffee as he leaned on the wall beside him, the corridor was busy yet Hendery’s eyes were only on him. _Always have been._

“I need help in chemistry, I'm desperate since it’s almost the end of the semester yet I still have a failing remark.” The pink haired half-lied, hoping the latter doesn’t catch on it and humiliate him. 

“Phone,” Ten extended his hand and asked for Hendery’s phone, once given, he saved his number on his contacts as ‘Ten <3’. “Send me your address and i’ll go there whenever you’re free.” 

Hendery, however much intimidated with Ten, couldn’t help but feel elated that he got to talk to his longtime crush. Or whatever they may want to call his attraction to Ten was—Yangyang, his friend liked to call it ‘masochism’. 

  
  
  


**_Have you no idea that you're in deep?_ **

**_I've dreamt about you nearly every night this week_ **

**_How many secrets can you keep?_ **

  
  
  


Ten initially went to teach Hendery about chemistry, neither of the two knew they’d be learning about each other’s bodies. There’s depth to the consequences it will bring, but they pay it no mind. 

Once they were both done catching their breaths and being in sync with the other’s body, Hendery then buried his face in Ten’s neck. 

“Hey _cherry_ ,” Ten supplied the nickname because his hair was pastel pink in color. “Are you alright?” 

Hendery nodded, his heart thrumming against his chest that was pressed against Ten’s. 

Ten motioned to kiss his lips but Hendery leaned away, “I don’t need aftercare, you can leave if you want to.” He bit his lip, afraid that Ten would turn out to be just like his ex. 

“Don’t be silly,” Ten retorted and pulled him closer to the point that their noses were touching and with their lips only inches away from each other, Hendery had an internal conflict whether or not he’s dreaming. Ten can’t be real if he’s too perfect. “You need aftercare just as much as I need it. Everyone needs aftercare, got it cherry?” 

The next thing he knew Ten’s smile was felt against his lips, soft yet hungry, experimental and careful. 

And that’s when he knew he’s in so deep. 

  
  


**_'Cause there's this tune I found_ **

**_That makes me think of you somehow and I play it on repeat_ **

**_Until I fall asleep, spillin' drinks on my settee,_ **

**_Do I wanna know,_ **

**_If this feeling flows both ways?_ **

  
  


“Cherry,” Ten paid him a surprise visit, Hendery’s parents were at home so it wasn’t exactly a great timing. 

“Jesus, Ten. Why are you so loud?” Hendery didn’t mean to sound offending when he asked Ten to lower his voice down but that’s how it registered to Ten. 

“Right, sorry.” 

“No baby, I didn’t mean to sound like that. I was just surprised you’re here, I told you my parents would be home.” Hendery half whispered, paranoid that his parents would soon wonder why he’s out and see Ten outside their house. 

“And I told you that I missed you so much, we haven’t hung out in like a week.” Ten held his motorcycle helmet in between his arm and thigh. 

Hendery leaned in to give Ten’s cheek a peck, he retracted as fast as possible. Not when his neighborhood could possibly catch them. 

“I missed you too, so much.” Hendery wanted to kiss Ten’s pout away, but it would be too much to risk. 

“Do you want to watch my small gig this saturday night? Me and Yuta are about to perform in a music fest!” Ten excitingly brought up. Although Hendery wouldn’t want to erase that smile and enthusiasm on his boyfriend’s face, he had to decline because he had prior commitment to attend on the same day. 

Hendery took a deep, long-suffering breath. 

“Baby, I'm sorry but my parents wanted me to eat out on Saturday after they enrolled me in my photography sessions.” Hendery felt sorry. 

“Oh right, goodluck! Just come watch me next time, okay? I could also be your model, where I only accept payment in cuddles.” Ten joked, and Hendery laughed with him. 

And his breath almost stuttered when he heard his father’s voice from behind. 

“There you are, Kunhang.” 

“Hi dad, this is my.. _friend,_ Ten.” Hendery could swear his soul almost left his body. Good thing Ten was very understanding. 

“Good evening! I just tried to borrow some notes from Hendery but turns out he left his notebook in his locker.” Ten reasoned out before bidding them goodbye and driving off with his motorcycle.

———

Saturday came and Hendery brought Dejun along with him so they could enroll together. His parents knew that he and Dejun were really good friends, but they never knew that their son used to like Dejun. But all those feelings were long gone, it was as if it never existed at all. Because they’re only friends now and nothing else, and Hendery had eyes for Ten only. 

After dinner, his parents wanted to watch a movie at the cinema but both Hendery and Dejun planned to just go home so his friend offered him a ride. 

They were chatting and anticipating how their photography sessions would probably go. But when Hendery’s eyes spotted a familiar motorcycle parked in their garage, he was suddenly motionless. 

Dejun parked right in front of the motorcycle, where a man was sitting right in front of their doorstep. 

Upon seeing the car, the man stood up and threw his cigarette stick on the floor. 

Hendery wanted to ask Dejun not to come out of the car as it would seem like he lied to Ten about having dinner with his family although that was exactly what he did. 

He didn’t know how to explain this, he doesn’t know why he’s feeling guilty even when he didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe it was the way Ten’s eyes dropped when he saw Hendery get off of the car as well as Dejun. 

“Hey,” Hendery greeted Ten casually, his boyfriend’s hand automatically snaked on the small of his back. 

“Hi cherry,” but the latter’s tone was very much intimidating, his eyes weren’t even on Hendery but on his companion. 

Dejun looked at Hendery and before smiling at Ten, “Hi there, I'm Xiaojun. I just drove him home after we ate dinner with his parents.” 

“Thanks, Xiaojun. I’m Ten.” Ten’s hands were still on Hendery, possessively so. 

“I’ll be going now, it’s kind of late. See you on our photography sessions, Dery.” Hendery gave Dejun curt nods and his breathing intensified as they stared as Dejun’s car disappeared from their neighborhood. 

“How was dinner with your family, cherry?” Ten finally talked to him. 

“It was nice,” Hendery smiled a forced one. The tension was thick between them. 

“Why do you look like you’ve seen some ghost? Did you not expect me to be here?” Ten went to his motorcycle to place his helmet on top of it. 

“Not really, I thought you were still performing on the music fest.” Hendery replied. 

“And I thought you’d come home with your parents,” Ten sounded jealous, but it wasn’t just because of Dejun. Hendery knew he’d been keeping Ten in the shadows, not wanting their relationship to be out in the public—not when he’s not ready yet. He was so busy worrying about how he’ll be that he hadn’t taken Ten’s feelings into consideration. 

“They decided to watch a movie, so Dejun was the one to drive me home.” Hendery explained, keeping it simple so that their conversation would be cut short as well. 

“Have you forgotten that your boyfriend can drive as well?” Ten sounded petty, but Hendery thought he had every right to be. “Or have you forgotten that you have a boyfriend?” 

“I thought we agreed not to let my parents know that we’re dating? Not when they might kick me out once they find out.” Ten concealed his pain with a humorless laugh upon hearing what Hendery just said. 

“I know and i’m not asking you to tell them, I just.. I just want you to spend time with me, you avoid me everytime I try to get close with you.” Hendery was rendered speechless with how Ten was speaking. “The only moment we’ve shared was in bed, Hendery. Did you only like me for that? And now that it’s through you’re acting as if I'm nothing to you?” 

Hendery shook his head, his fingertips almost darkened because he was grasping his hair too hard.

"You know I love you, right?" But why did he sound like he was convincing himself more than he's trying to convince Ten?

"I don't know anymore," Ten's reply came as a bolt from the blue. 

Hendery thought falling apart would be chaotic, he was not informed that it would be eerily silent. With only him and Ten on their front yard, while the other was waiting for him to say a thing or two-- he was falling apart. And it seemed as though everything's crashing down at that moment. 

“Kunhang, what’s happening?” his parents asked him, they looked at Ten who was gathering the right excuse to say. 

“I’m sorry I just delivered the news that my mother just migrated to another country, sorry for the disturbance and thank you for listening to me, Dery.” Ten quickly breathed out and wore his helmet on and drove off. 

"Kunhang, what happened?" Hendery’s mom tried to talk to him but he didn’t open his bedroom door for anyone. He allowed himself to feel, without restrictions and fear of judgement.

He needed to cry and cry until he’d feel nothing at all. 

Ten was too perfect, covering for him even when they were just arguing minutes ago. 

While Hendery was in so deep. In fact, he was in too deep that he felt suffocated. What made him feel worse was that Ten would've drowned for him to stay alive, but he couldn't do the same. Perhaps he deserved this; the staggered movements of his feet as he tried to stand up from his bed, the lack of air as he choked up from his sobs, and the empty abyss that slowly drags him in. 

  
  


**_(Sad to see you go) Was sorta hopin' that you'd stay_ **

**_(Baby, we both know) That the nights were mainly made_ **

**_For sayin' things that you can't say tomorrow day_ **

  
  


Hendery hadn’t noticed how he’d stopped taking pictures and just stood there listening to the band, his eyes were set on Ten but the latter couldn’t probably recognize him through the crowd. 

He broke it off, yet he’s far more miserable than the two. 

He was the one to walk away, yet he wanted to approach Ten. But why now? Why only now? 

  
  
  


**_Crawlin' back to you_ **

**_Ever thought of callin' when_ **

**_You've had a few?_ **

**_'Cause I always do_ **

**_Maybe I'm too_ **

**_Busy being yours_ **

**_To fall for somebody new_ **

The song ended, and this was his chance to speak to him.

But as Hendery was about to go in Ten's direction, the vocalist went to hug the pianist and they shared a really intimate moment without necessarily being intimate. 

The pianist took the mic and said, “This is written by my boyfriend, Ten! Thank you everybody for listening!” 

Hendery watched as Ten timorously played with his boyfriend’s hair as he was proud to announce to everyone that Ten wrote the song. 

Ten’s smile was enthralling, it only made Hendery’s heart hurt. 

To Hendery, Ten deserved this, having someone who was proud enough to show him off to everyone. And that he deserved feeling like this, empty upon the realization that just dawned to him. 

Ten’s too perfect and he will remain as perfect as ever even without him. 

Hendery turned his back at the crowd, heels immediately guiding him to the exit. 

He reviewed the photos he's taken earlier and sighed as he stared at how beautiful Ten was. It was like clockwork at this point. 

Regret settled at the pit of his stomach, if only he was not three years too late. 


End file.
